Perfume compositions with a scent sequence

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to perfume compositions, wherein different scent notes are successively released (scent sequence). According to the invention, the perfume composition comprises at least a first perfume ingredient consisting of at least a first and a second aromatic substance in the absence of alcohol, wherein the aromatic substances are contained in microcapsules, at least a second perfume composition consisting of at least a third and a fourth aromatic substance in the absence of alcohol, wherein the aromatic substances are contained in microcapsules, and a cosmetic gel in which the first and the second perfume compositions are distributed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to perfume compositions, wherein different scentnotes are successively released (scent sequence).

2. Description of the Related Art

It is known that perfume preparations with differing volatilities afteropening a perfume flask release a so-called head note followed by aheart note and finally a fond note. Generally, the head note isdetermined by low boiling alcohols such as ethanol, while an extendedfond note can be accomplished, for example, by less volatile oils orbonding to a carrier with the assistance of high boiling solvents.

In order to influence the volatility of perfume compositions and toachieve an effectiveness period being as long as possible on the skin ofthe user, among other methods the enclosure of perfumes in capsules hasbeen applied. For example, EP 838216 suggests an encapsulation usinghigh-bloom gelatine capsules wherein the aromatic substance is providedencapsulated together with a volatile solvent and a non-volatileco-solvent. Further, known perfume compositions comprise cyclodextrines(e.g. from EP 0013688) or cyclodextrines in an aqueous carrier,moisture-keeping agents and agents active on the surface (e.g. from WO98/56341).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a perfume compositionwherein, when applied onto the skin, different scent notes are releasedsuccessively but nearly completely isolated from each other.

According to the invention, the perfume composition comprises

a) at least a first perfume ingredient consisting of at least a firstand a second aromatic substance in the absence of alcohol, wherein thearomatic substances are contained in microcapsules, and

b) at least a second perfume ingredient consisting of at least a thirdand a fourth aromatic substance in the absence of alcohol, wherein thearomatic substances are contained in microcapsules, and

c) a cosmetic gel in which the first and the second perfume ingredientsare distributed.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the microcapsules of thefirst perfume ingredient or the second perfume ingredient contain, apartfrom the aromatic substances, lamellar liquid crystals or mixtures ofliquid crystals.

The microcapsules are manufactured using common methods, wherein aliquid is used as a suspension medium for the microcapsules and whereinthe emulsification/dispersion of two or more phases non-miscible witheach other is performed. These methods include interfacialpolymerisation, in-situ polymerisation, solvent evaporation,gelatinisation, pressure extrusion, polymer-polymer incompatibility, andsimple and complex coacervation. The three last methods are preferred.

During coacervation, the individual droplets of the wall polymer settleon the surfaces of a core material, wherein it is essential that thecore is insoluble in the solvent of the polymer material, and the wallpolymer is hardly able to distribute in the core material. Aftercompletely covering the surface of the core material with microdropletsfollowed by coalescence the coacervates form a wall around the corematerial. If necessary, this wall may be hardened in addition. (forcoacervation, see for instance Hallcrest, Handbook of ThermochromeLiquid Crystal Technology (1991), pp. 11-12).

If liquid crystals are selected as core material, the process describedabove may also be performed in such a manner that the lamellar liquidcrystals are brought into contact with the respective aromaticsubstances and are transformed into coacervates. Different wallthicknesses can be accomplished using known methods.

The capsules formed may have a diameter ranging from 5-10 μm up to 2000μm. In case of diameters below 500 μm, the wall thicknesses range from 5to 20 μm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In a preferred embodiment the wall thicknesses of the micro-capsulesrange from 100 to 2000 nm.

In a further preferred embodiment three different perfume ingredientsare encapsulated in the microcapsules. The first perfume ingredientcomprises two orange scent substances, the second perfume ingredient twovanilla scent substances, and the third perfume ingredient two rosescent substances.

Usable liquid crystals include cholesteric substances such ascholesterol, cholesterol ester, phytosterols, particularly B-sitosteroland camposterol, phytosterol ester, dihydrosterol ester, non-specificsterol derivatives or else mixtures of cholesterol with2-acetaminoalkane-1,3-diolene and 2-acylami-noalkane-1,3-diolen as wellas chiralically nematic substances such as (2-methylbutyl)phenyl-4-alkyl(oxy)benzoate.

Examples of aromatic substances in the perfume compositions according tothe invention include: ambre, anekole C₁₀H₁₂O, angelica root oil,artemisia oil, basil oil, rose oil, lavender oil, bay oil, benzaldehydeC₇H₆O, bergamot oil, benzyl acetate C₉H₁₀O₂, camphor C₁₀H₁₇O, calamusoil, carrot oil, camomile oil, citronella oil, couramine C₉H₆O₂, cypreneoil, dihydromyrcenol C₁₀H₂₀O, jasmine, mimosa, muscone C₁₆H₃₀O,narcissus, orange oil, rose oxide C₁₀H₁₈O, sandelwood oil, vanillaC₈H₈O₃. A wide variety of other aromatic substances can be used, inparticular variants of individual aromatic substances having similarscent nuances.

It is an essential characteristic of the invention that at least twoaromatic substances form each one of several perfume ingredients withinthe perfume composition according to the invention and that no lightvolatile solvent, i.e. no alcohol, is added to these perfumeingredients.

Preferably, the first, second, third and fourth aromatic sub-stanceshave a different volatility, i.e. a different boiling point.

It is further preferable that the volatility increases from the first tothe fourth and, if applicable, any further aromatic substance.

In another embodiment of the invention, the wall thickness of themicrocapsules differs among the individual perfume ingredients andpreferably increases from the first perfume ingredient to the secondperfume ingredient and, if applicable, to any further perfumeingredient. This allows the capsule walls of the microcapsules to breakopen at different points in time.

For example, the wall thickness of the capsules containing the firstperfume ingredient may be 100 to 200 nm, that of the capsules containingthe second perfume ingredient 400 to 500 nm and that of the capsulescontaining the third perfume ingredient may exceed 500 nm.

The invention allows to apply onto the skin different scent notesconsisting of at least two different aromatic substances in amicro-encapsulated form, to destroy during the soft initial applicationof the gel onto the skin the capsule walls of the capsules containing afirst perfume ingredient and thus to release the mixture of the firstand second aromatic substances as the “head note ” of the perfume.

A little later, a second scent note is released in the form of themixture of the at least third and fourth aromatic substances with noessential mixed scent phase occurring between both aromatic substances.

If applicable, a third or further scent note is released in the form ofa mixture of at least a fifth and a sixth and, if applicable, furtheraromatic substances (mixtures), each with no essential mixed scent phaseoccurring in between.

Hitherto it is unclear what causes the release of the further aromaticsubstances without any visible external influence and what prevents theoccurrence of a mixed scent phase. It can be assumed that there is aninteraction with skin proteins plus the influence of skin temperature.

In the sense of this invention, “without an essential mixed scent phase”means that a mixture of two scent notes is nearly imperceptible and, ifat all, occurs for a few seconds only (e.g. 2-8 seconds).

The combination according to the invention creates a scent sequencedesired by the user which up to now could not be created in this form.Although it was possible in the prior art to create a scent sequenceusing the adherence to the skin and different solvents with varyingboiling points plus, if applicable, further additives, but firstly thisalways required the presence of solvents such as alcohols, and secondly,always an extended and hardly influenceable mixed scent phase occurredduring which no clear scent note could be discerned.

Further, the use of liquid crystals having a lamellar phase according tothe invention allows a longer binding of the aromatic substances to saidphase and as a whole a delayed release of the scents.

Moreover, temperature-sensitive and thermochrome liquid crystals allowespecially attractive colour effects shown by the microcapsules in thegel. This factor may be further enhanced by adjusting the viscositydegree of the gel to a higher level, e.g. above 50000 Pa·s by depositingthe various microcapsules punctually, helically, on discrete locationsin the gel, in layers or in another distribution and keeping them atthese locations. A uniform distribution may also be accomplished byintensive shaking or by distributing the microcapsules in a less viscousgel.

A preferred perfume composition according to the invention includesthree perfume ingredients. The first perfume ingredient comprises twodifferent orange scent substances, the second perfume ingredient twodifferent vanilla scent substances, and the third perfume ingredient twodifferent rose scent substances.

As mentioned above, a preferred embodiment of the invention includes theselection of the wall thickness of the microcapsules and the volatilityof the aromatic substances in such a way that after applying the perfumecomposition onto the skin the aromatic substances of the first perfumeingredient are released first, followed—without an essential mixed scentphase—by the aromatic substances of the second perfume ingredient,followed by the aromatic substances of the third and, if applicable, anyfurther perfume ingredients.

The dispersion of the perfume ingredients may be carried out in knowncosmetic gels. These include carbomer, xanthane rubber, carrageenan,acacia gum, guar gum, agar-agar, alginates and tyloses, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, certain polyacrylates, polyvinylalcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, silicone gels.

Now the invention will be described by way of examples. All percentagefigures designate weight percent unless specified otherwise.

EXAMPLE 1

Liquid crystals of the cholesteryl 2,4 dichloro benzoate, cholesteryloleyl carbonate, cholesteryl nonanoate and cholesteryl chloride typeswere brought into contact with a first mixture of aromatic substancescomprising two different orange scent substances (scent liquid 1) havinga concentration of 8 wt % in a perfume oil and transformed in the commonmanner into a coacervate. The wall thickness of the microcapsules formedwas approximately 120 to 150 nm.

Then, the liquid crystals cholesteryl oleyl carbonate, cholesterylnonanoate and cholesteryl chloride were brought into contact with asecond mixture of aromatic substances comprising two different vanillascent substances (scent liquid 2) having a concentration of 8 wt % inoil and transformed in the common manner into a coacervate. The wallthickness of the microcapsules formed was approximately 300 to 450 nm.

Then, the liquid crystals cholesteryl oleyl carbonate, cholesterylnonanoate and cholesteryl chloride were brought into contact with athird mixture of aromatic substances comprising two different rose scentsubstances (scent liquid 3) having a concentration of 8 wt % in perfumeoil and transformed in the common manner into a coacervate. The wallthickness of the microcapsules formed was approximately >500 nm.

The three aromatic substances were dispersed in a silicone gelsuccessively and by cautious distribution or by injecting at atemperature ranging from 15 to 45° C. resulting in the followingcomposition (in wt %):

silicone powder 3 silicone oil to make 100  scent liquid 1 2 scentliquid 2 2 scent liquid 3 2

The individual droplets of the perfume composition were clearlydiscernible by colour differences and thus provided an additionalattractive optical effect.

What is claimed is:
 1. Perfume composition with a scent sequence,comprising a) at least a first perfume ingredient consisting of at leasta first and a second aromatic substance in the absence of alcohol,wherein the aromatic substances are contained in microcapsules, and b)at least a second perfume ingredient consisting of at least a third anda fourth aromatic substance in the absence of alcohol, wherein thearomatic substances are contained in microcapsules, and c) a cosmeticgel in which the first and the second perfume ingredients aredistributed, where the microcapsules are formed by emulsion ordispersion from a liquid suspension medium and at least one phase whichis snot miscible with the suspension medium, said microcapsules have awall thickness which increases from the first perfume ingredient to thesecond perfume ingredient and, if applicable, to any further perfumeingredient, and wherein the first, second, third and fourth aromaticsubstances have different volatilities which increases from the first tothe fourth and, if applicable, any further aromatic substance. 2.Perfume composition according to claim 1, wherein the microcapsules ofthe first perfume ingredient or the second perfume ingredient or bothcontain, apart from the aromatic substances, lamellar liquid crystals orliquid crystal mixtures.
 3. Perfume composition according to claim 1,wherein the wall thicknesses of the microcapsules range from 100 to 2000nm.
 4. Perfume composition according to claim 1 ,comprising threedifferent perfume ingredients, wherein the first perfume ingredientcomprises two orange scent substances, the second perfume ingredient twovanilla scent substances, and the third perfume ingredient two rosescent substances.
 5. Perfume composition according to claim 1, whereinthe microcapsules and the aromatic substances are selected so that,after applying the perfume composition onto the skin, at first thearomatic substances of the first perfume ingredient are released and ata later time, without an essential mixed scent phase, the aromaticsubstances of the second perfume ingredient are released.